Knockdown airplane-fuselage and process therefor



M. W. MIX.

KNocKDowN MRPLANE FUSELAGE AND PROCESS THEHEFOR.

APPLlCATION FILED APR. 8, 191B.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

fifa/wey MELVILLE W. MIX, 0F MISHAWAKA,

INDIANA.

KNOCKDOWN AIRPLANE-FUSELAGE AND PROCESS THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application led April 8, 1918. Serial No. 227,314.

T 0 all whom t may concern: j

Be it known that I, MELVILLE W. Mix, citizen of the United States, residing at Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Airplane-Fuselages and Processes There for, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in knock-down airplane fuselarres and process therefor and it more especially consists of the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a sectional fuselage that may be nested for transportation purposes, in order to facilitate its packing and enable the maximum number of machines to be carried overseas or otherwise in the least possible space,y so as to largely increase the number of airplanes transported without adding to the tonnage capacity available; that provides a fuselage formed of sections, with continuous longrons, and separate bulk heads, the assembled parts forming a monocoque type of construction which is sheathed with plywood or laminated veneer; that provides an airplane body which is exceedingly strong and 'ery light and specially adaptable in the construction of the swiftest and ultra modern types of machines; and that lends itself to rapid and efiicient manufacture in ample quantities to meet the urgent exigencies of military requirements.

With these and other related ends in view I illustrate in the accompanyi g drawing such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying principle without limiting myself to the specific details of adaptation shown as suggested exemplilications of various constructional expedients.

Figure 1 instances in diagrammatic relation an assembled fuselage.

Fig. 2 shows in reduced scale a four member fuselage showing in dotted lines how four sections may be nested together for shipment.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. Q.

Fig. 4 shows three members nested for shipment.

Fig. 5 instances a method of fastening ad members to each other.

jacent 6 instances another fastening expe- Fig. dient.

Fig. 71 is a transverse section instancing the relation of a longron to the other parts.

In practically carrying out my invention I mayy employ any desired form of fastening expedient for holding the separate divisions of the fuselage together to form a complete airplane body. I may form the body into any desired number of divisions as the exigencies of various circumstances demand for which reasons I do not in any sense limit myself to the specific expedients shown and described but lay claim to thebroadest interpretation of all alternatives of construction and adaptation.

In addition to the use of bolts` etc., for fastening the divisions together I employ continuous longrons reaching from the head to the tail post in an unbroken length being secured to each division by means of brackets, screws. nails, or any other approved method of fastening. This binds the several divisions together into a rigid and extremely serviceable whole for use with any desired type of wings` supporting struts.y spars, etc., regardless of the kindof material used.

The fuselage may be divided into four or any other number of divisions. In Fig. 1 there is an engine division or section 1, a. cock pit division 2, a mid-section 3, and a tail section 4. The latter has a tail or stern post 5 and the engine section a stem or head member (i. r1`he several sections are held t0- gether by any desired expedient, for instance hook bolts 11 can be used with flat bulk head frames 9 and ring frames 10 when it is desirable to encroach on the inside dimensions as little as possible. The ring frame 10 Fig. 5 may have an alining iiange 1G to insure the perfect meeting of adjacent division ends. IVhen it is not so important to keep the inside clear dimension as large as possible the bulk head frames 12 may be made of plywood pressed into angular shape as instanced in Fig. 6 in which case adjacent frames are held together by through bolts 13. W'herever this type ot frame is used an alining plate 15 bent to conform to the external cross sectional shape of the fuselage may be placed between a frame and the cover 8 so as to pass inside of the projecting end of the cover of an adjacent division, thus also insuring a perfect junction of the meeting edges of the several divisions. The bulk head fraires 10 or 12 may have thin angle plates 14 by which they can be secured to each of the longrons 7. The external contour of these frames1 as well as frame 9 will of course be adapted to Whatever cross sectional form the longrons 7 may possess.

The method involved in this invention comprises a proper proportioning of the fuselage divisions with respect to each other so that they will readily nest into each other when disassembled. In this Way a relatively short box may containan entire fuselage. eliminating transportation breakages and reducing the shipping space to a minimum. Fig. 1 instances a fuselage of standard stream-line form which has been approved in actual flight conditions because it gives the minimum resistance to movement through the air thus securing an airplane body that is especially amenable to accepted aero-dynamic formulae and one that will give the results demanded by swift scouting machines.

lhenever the engine section 1 is packed separatelyY with the engine then only three sections would be nested for shipment as shown in F ig. 4. The several divisions in cross section may be of any desired shape, circular, rectangular, octagonal, etc. Each division is quite self-contained forming an independent unit. Section 1 may permanently contain the engine which in any event if not so assembled must be boxed separatel'y. Section 2 is used for the pilot`s compartment and may be called the cock pit section. The middle section 3 may be closed over or a second cock pit formed in it for an observer in case the machine is to be a two-seater, while the tail section 4 ends in' the stern post 5 to which the rear controls, stabilizers, and rudders are attached.

The several sections are provided with bulk head frames at each end as heretofore described. These frames may be made of laminated plywood as shown. They may be flanged to form a circular angle ring to which the thinner plywood covering 8 is attached and by means of which the sections are secured to each other.

The several sections are of different mean diameters. Each Vsection is more or less tapering and the openings of the bulk head frames are sufficiently large so that the small end of an adjacent receding section will pass through. In this way the middle section 3 will rest Within the cock pit section 2 and the tail section inside of the latter. If for any reason the engine section 1 is also to be nested With the others, in case the manufacture and assembling of the engine is done at a different point than where the fuselage is built then the front or small end of this section might pass into the cock pit section 2 so as to project therefrom, section 3 inside of it and section 4 inside of the latter. I do not however limit myself to the use of three, four or any other number of nesting sections. It is of course self-evident that an extraordinary economy in shipping space is secured by this knock-down type of monocoque fuselage.

As heretofore stated the longrons 7 are continuous because it is most desirable that they be unbroken and firmly attached to the front end of the engine section and tail post, extending throughout the length of the whole body, thus forming an extremely strong and yet light fuselage. The longrons in length being about the same as the wing spars may be drawn out entire from their seats in the sections and packed with the Wings or in long separate boxes. In assembling the fuselage the different sections will be simply slipped onto the longrons, the plates 14 fastened and bolts 11 and 13 secured, and the ends of the longrons attached to the stem and stern and the whole becomes a finished integral body unit. In order that all the sections may be additionally held together tie rods 17 may pass inside of each longron So as to most securely hold all the divisions under end compression. Such rods would be fastened in the head piece and stern post by nuts, etc., in any well known manner, not shown in detail in the drawings but indicated in Fig. 1. Y

It is understood that I do not limit myself to the use of plywood in the formation of the bulk head frames but other materials may be used, such as metal or ordinary unlaminated Wood.

It is quite obvious that a unique and valuable advance has been made in fuselage construction. An advance that the uncertain- 100 ties of War time transportation and the restricted space available at the most critical times most urgently demand. The invention is of commanding importance and' is destined to facilitate the rapid production, 105 transport and assemblage of such needed air craft for defense, offense Vand eneral utilitarian, industrial and commerc al purposes.

That I claim iS,

1. In airplane fuselages, a body compris- 110 ing separate attachable and detachable units adapted to be nested into each other Wheny disassembled, means for holding the sections `to `each other when assembled, continuous longrons extending from end to end of a group of units, means for attaching "the same to the units, and separate tie rods for each longeron said rods being secured to the extreme ends of the fuselage.

2. In airplane fuselages, a body formed of separate independently constructed units adapted to be assembled end to end in coordinate relation to each other, continuous longer-ons reaching from end to end of the fuselage and independent means for attaching the same to the several ends of the independent units so as to hold the parts against accidental displacement under service conditions.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a fuselage eonsiating ot separate assemblable seetiona4 whose ends admit of Cordinate at taehment to each other in related paire. meansr for aeparatelv securing such `et-tions to each other. a pluralit)y olI continuona longitudinal members extending from end to end ot' a group ot' Het-tions, and meana tor separatel)v .attaching said membere` to yaaid Sections.

1. -Xn article of manufacture comprising a knock-down" t \'pe ot' fuselage. consisting of a pluralit)Y ot' indei'iendent sections hav ing diil'erent mean cross Sectional dimeu sions. which are assembled with end` ol' the .Same dimensione` adjacent eaeh other. mean4 for rigidi)- fastening them to each other. so as to distribute the stresses to which the fuselage is subjected among lengthwiae con tinnotls supports which engage all the sei tions.

, 5. A\n article ot' manufacture comprising a linoek-dtwnr` type of fuselage. consiatin; l of a pluralit)v ot' Separate Sections having different average cross Sectional dimenaion which are assembled with euday oth the same dimensions engaging each other, means for separately fastening Such adjacent erndh4 to each other.y and a series ot' separate reinforcements. extending from end to end ot a group of sections `said sections being independently attached to Such reinforcements.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a fuselage structure consisting of a body formed of separate sections, means for attaching intermediate related sections to each other. and indel'iendent means for additionally supporting the same between the extreme end sections said Sections being adapted so as to be disconnected from each other` in order that a desired number of the separate sections may be nested into `acb other for shipment.

i. ln airplane fuaelages, a bodjy7 composed ot separable unita baring open end ol' var r ing mean diameters. means i'or assembling them end to end in related order to form a con'1plete structure. continuous longeron-- and tie rod:y l'ox holding the parts together. being adapted tofreaswmbling within each other as a disamzenibled structure tor shipment.

.\n artielc ol' manufacture. comprising a aectional airplane body ot' detachable unita having lillerent end dimeniona assembled together with related ende in engagement with each other. means for alining auch ends into registration. and means for delai-haitiA securing the unita to each other.

t?. The method of airplane fuselage coustrnetion consiating in forming separate units having ditlerent dimensioned ends. in assembling related ende in engagement with each other. in attaehabtv and detachabl)Y using Isueh unita. in ne ting disawemblcd units into each other for shipment and in subjecting groupsot assembled units to an over-all compression at a plurality ot' points.

In teatimonlr whereol' l ailix my signature.

M lf LY lTiLl \V. N l X. 

